CMJ Through the Lens, Day Two: Apache Beat, Oh Land, The Drums

The CMJ Music Marathon has once again descended upon New York, turning nearly a hundred venues in the city into destinations for hardy showgoers to find their next obsessions. This year, Interview is documenting the marathon photographically. (Previously: CMJ Through the Lens, Day One.)

Day two of CMJ found us back at Santos Party House, but not before stopping off at The Annex for TheCultureofMe showcase. Nanna Oland Fabricius (whom Interview can’t seem to get enough of these days) came here by way of Denmark and now lives in Brooklyn. Her mesmerizing voice (to say nothing of her beautiful face)—sprightly, fun, and full of playful pops-kept the crowd enthralled. Next up was Apache Beat at Santos, and in a word: wow. Singer Ilirjana Alushaj’s singing and “growl” is unlike any we’ve heard, and the chemistry between her and the band is unrivaled. (Oh, and the way she handled the microphone cord was, ahem, a little distracting—in a good way. We couldn’t stop looking.)  Last but not least, the surprise guest last night at Santos was The Drums; the audience went nuts, and so did we. We almost—almost!—forgot to take pictures.